By Jay Mwamba

LATE COLLAPSE
“Close but no cigar” must’ve been the anguished feeling at East River Park after hosts Manhattan Kickers came within 12 minutes of stunning CSL champs New York Greek Americans.

The promotion side led 3-1 on Man of the Match Mohamadou “Remi” Diaby’s double [20th, 77th] and a Brian Morris strike that Remi assisted on.

Then the Greeks roared back. Patrick Figueiredo; Dilan Rockensies, who’s 17; and John Sabal connected to force a 3-3 tie.

Kickers were coming off a 3-0 win over Zum Schneider the previous week.

The reserve tussle at East River Park ended 3-1 in Kickers favor, with Almir Hot [two] and Senan Lonergan, who also had an assist, on the mark. Andrew Chou and Jared Lichtarge had the other assists.

Lionel Belo scored for NYGA ‘B.’

WHYTE-HOTScotsman James Whyte’s brace keyed a 3-1 victory over Doxa FC at St. Michael’s Playground, elevating the Shamrocks into joint second with U.S. amateur champs Lansdowne Bhoys on the CSL First Division log.

A recent signing from the Dubai Irish, Whyte, who’s 26, was on target in the 21st and 72nd minutes, to bring his chart-topping tally in the top flight to six goals from four games. Ned Wagner [60th] had the other goal.

Doxa’s Kareem Joachim converted a late penalty [75th].

Joey Aronovsky scored for the Shamrocks second in a 1-0 win over Doxa ‘B’ also extended their flawless record to 4-0 [12].

PERFECT BHOYSLansdowne, meanwhile, made it two wins out of two in the CSL with a 2-1 defeat of Cedar Stars Academy at Tibbetts Brook Park.

Following a typically frenetic start between the two teams, the Bhoys fell behind to a Sammy Gehman free kick [25th].

“About time we won a game,” said coach Bill Saporito. “The score line is a bit flattering. Zum played as well as any team we've faced, but in this match we finally got some lethal finishing.”

That came from Gabe Gagot, who tucked away the first goal on a “semi-breakaway” midway through the first half, Saporito reported.

Ryan O'Donnell got the second before the interval. Gagot added to his tally, “with a gorgeous solo run through a couple of defenders and a cool finish,” before Alex Meisel slammed in the fourth off the crossbar in the final minutes.

The win moved NYAC [1-2-1, 5] into third place, seven points behind the flawless first place Rocks.

NYAC’s first XI remain atop the First Division table despite a goalless tie with Zum ‘A.’

His reserves were cruising 4-1 in the second half before being pegged back 4-4 down the stretch.

“Ivan Cotelea scored early, and Alex Subin made it 2-1. Sjors van Eck then scored twice to make it 4-1 early in the second. Joe Paljaj and Ilya Kamesh had assists. But incredibly we capitulated against a team we completely dominated for 60 minutes,” rued Vovsha.

HOBOKEN EXPRESSRelegated from the First Division in 2015, and unsuccessful in two promotion bids since, Hoboken FC are laying down a strong marker for a return to the upper echelon this campaign. A 3-1 decision over Beyond FC at Laurel Hill Park extended the Jersey side’s hundred percent record to 4-0 [12] atop Division Two South.

James Reed [15th], Jeremy Witherspoon [70th] and Cory Chaplin [86th] scored in the Garden State derby. Beyond pulled a late goal back [(88th].

Williamsburg’s reserves were equally emphatic in a 4-0 romp. Danny Rivas got two goals on assists from Rich Butterworth and Augustus Esgro. The latter headed in a Charles von Rosenberg cross, while Turner Baker recorded the fourth, thanks to Seth Graves.

VITAL POINTWinless in their first three games, New York Ukrainians picked up their first point from a 2-2 draw with CD Iberia [another team in pursuit of Hoboken] at McCarren Park.

It must have felt like déjà vu for Steve Kovalenko’s men when Ivan Hernandez’s powerful free kick shook the net in the first half. But Kareem Roberts and Kevin Kretschmer hit back for the Ukrainians in the second half.

However, Hernandez would come to Iberia’s rescue.

“Ivan was able to save us a point in the 80th minute with a great goal after turning defenders and finishing calmly pass the keeper,” said Carlos Vázquez. “Good game by both teams.”

“[Goalkeeper] Lukasz Stankowski was Man of the Match, making terrific saves all game long against a very strong CD Iberia attack,” said Ukrainians’ Boris Shapoval.

SAMBA BOYSAt Corporal Thompson Park, Malatyaspor, early pace-setters in the North, came up a short in a thrilling tit-for-tat shoot-out with fellow newcomers KidSuper Samba. Eleven goals were scored with the Samba boys running off 6-5 winners.

Coached by veteran Brazilian coach Wilson Egidio, Samba had a response every time Malatyaspor went ahead.

First Alhoussain Bah leveled from Yankuba Janneh’s assist, and then Ebrima Jallow restored parity when Malatyaspor led 2-1. Anthony Flores had the assist on what would be the first of Jallow’s hat trick.

Samba replied in spades after Malatyaspor’s next goal. Jallow [Admir Nezaj], Bah [Colm Dillane] and Yankuba Janneh [Jallow] struck back in that order to turn a 2-3 deficit into a 5-3 lead.

Refusing to capitulate, Malatyaspor cut it to 5-4, and after Jallowhad completed his trey, connected again.

Jallow ended up with five goals on the night following abrace in the Samba reserves’ 3-2 loss. He was teed up by Dillane and Mana Ali.

FIVE-STAR CELTSMalatyaspor’s defeat and a 5-1 romp over undermanned Sporting Astoria at Forest Park Victory Field enabled Manhattan Celtic to join the former on top of the North standings. Both have nine points after four weeks.

‘FLASH FLOOD’
Jhalil Sallet’s early brace spurred Flushing FC to a 4-1 thrashing of NY United in the late match on Randalls Island. He struck twice 14 minutes into the match to up his tally to four goals in as many weeks.

Edyson Salnave [23rd] restored Flushing’s two-goal advantage, after a United penalty, for his fifth of the season.

“The match would stay this way until the 90th minute when James Gerbier scored a 20-yard curler to make it 4-1,” said manager Ryan Wiedman’s whose lads are third in the North, three points off the pace.

GRAND GAMEIn a tussle that ebbed and flowed, Grenadier Zenith conceded three straight after leading 2-0, then struck twice again without response in an exciting 5-3 affair with Kelmendi FC.

“We scored two goals early then we got sloppy and they scored three goals to lead,” admitted Zenith manager Jack Felix. “We regained our composure and scored [two] unanswered goals.”

“They had the prettier goals but we generated lots of chances and wore them down,” Hattori summed up.

MOLA STREAK
Make that three straight wins for Mola SC in Metro Two.

Rocco Badalamenti, Wafi and Salvatore Ingravallo connected in a 3-1 defeat over NYC Afghanistan at the Verrazano Sports Complex that kept Mola joint second [both 3-0, 9 pts] in the South with Sons of Queens.

GALLANT LOSS
NY Galicia had a hat trick from Carlos Espinosa in a narrow 5-4 loss to Sons of Queens on Randalls Island.

“Carlos [had] a free kick for his first, a penalty, and a screamer from 25 yards for his third,” coach Javier Caamano recounted.

Caamano’s through ball to Jose Campoverde yielded a fourth Galicia goal, “but unfortunately we came up short again,” he rued. “We are hoping to bounce back come next game after starting off strong in the season.”

BLAZING GUNSOn a weekend of several high-scoring fixtures, Richmond County and Brooklyn Bound produced a dramatic ending 12-goal thriller at Bushwick Inlet. When the dust had cleared, Brooklyn had held off Richmond 7-5.

HOT LEGENDSIn-form Kickers Legends annihilated Banatul SC 10-2 in the Over-38 Division to bring their goal tally to a league-high 22 in four weeks.

The prolific Gilad Bloom accounted for four goals – his second a header from a David Gouldstone cross. Scott Conti, Joe Whiteman and David James Stewart [two] also chipped in.

“Debutant Kevin Adamson-Jackes, joining Over-38 action after a season with the firsts, scored as well, to make it 9-1,” reported Eddie Yee Woo Guo. “Yadh Yaich ended the game with a thumping 30-yarder to give Legends their first double-digit [win].”

Kickers [4-0, 12] top the West.

In the East, defending champs Cozmoz FC had a forfeit win over the Shamrocks Legends.